Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has dampened expectations for his squad ahead of the season-opening Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Despite taking four GP wins last season, Mercedes slipped to fourth in the Constructors’ standings as it struggled to get its W15 in the right operating window from race-to-race.
To help rectify the W15’s deficiencies, Mercedes had an arduous winter in a bid to build a stronger, more competitive W16 machine.
Regardless of an apparent improvement with its new car, Wolff believes Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren will have the upper hand on the Silver Arrows as the team enters its post-Lewis Hamilton era with George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
“As a team, we had an uphill challenge over the winter,” Wolff admitted.
“Our competitors finished 2024 strongly and we know that Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren in particular, should have a performance advantage over us initially.
“We can be pleased with the work we have done in the off-season, and the test in Bahrain.
“Both drivers commented favourably on the W16 after the three days, and we seem to have made improvements.
“Of course, the only thing that matters is how we measure up against the stopwatch relative to our competitors. We will certainly begin to get a clearer picture on that this weekend.
“We will write the opening lines of our next chapter at the Australian Grand Prix. It’s an exciting time as we build upon the incredible legacy of the Mercedes brand in motorsport,” Wolff continued.
“We will be striving to set new benchmarks and fulfil new dreams in the years ahead. That will take every single one of us: from the drivers to the mechanics, engineers, everyone at Brackley and Brixworth and, of course, our fans.”
Wolff added that the “journey” Mercedes is headed on served as “the inspiration for our season launch film.”
Ahead of this weekend’s F1 season-opener, Mercedes released its ‘Every Dream Needs a Team‘ promotional video, which serves as the mantra the team is heading into in its post-Hamilton era.
“As George says at the end of the film: ‘This is just the beginning.’ And we are excited for what lies ahead,” said Wolff.
“It is a celebration of everything that makes Mercedes what it is: Innovation; Pushing the boundaries; The pioneering spirit of our founders,” he added. “The same DNA that drives us forward today.
“With George and Kimi, two homegrown talents from our junior programme graduates, we have a strong driver line-up that combines experience, youth, and raw speed. It is an exciting duo that will lead us into our next era.”
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